Abstract
For beginners in computer programming, the learning curve can be in many cases quite steep, especially if it is their first contact with this area. Plus, the traditional learning methodologies are usually based on doing countless exercises that aim to cover many areas, but are often disconnected from each other and can become tiresome, as they offer little immediate rewards to the student. Nowadays serious games technology offers tools that may have potential to help computer programming students to become more engaged on their learning through a 'learn while having fun approach. This paper aims to generally describe our approach on the creation of a platform for deploying serious computer games for the teaching of any computer programming language. We will begin by describing the game mechanics, followed by the general system architecture and its data model, finalizing with a small conclusion.

Abstract
Serious games have been used with success for training field operatives in tasks where there is a danger of injury or life threatening situations. This paper presents the development of a serious game aimed at the areas of security and safety supporting the training of specialists through supervised situational scenarios. The training plans involve security against third parties, focusing on social level security, and also safety actions on events such as floods and fires. The game provides a 3D virtual environment of the real location/facility to be secured and a multiplayer platform to allow collaborative training and supervising. (C) 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B. V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the scientific programme committee of VS-Games 2012

Abstract
Digital maps are very commonly used in the analysis, administration and representation of urban spaces. Despite the degree of information they can provide, they still pose some difficultives in decision making due to the three-dimensional nature of such ever-changing settings. This paper presents a collaborative solution for large virtual environment recreation aimed at urban landscape simulation. By providing an extensive interactive three-dimensional virtualization of a real-world city, multiple users may contribute with additional data, to either improve the model fidelity or to preview the impact of certain urban changes. This is achieved by employing procedural modeling methods to generate a basic three-dimensional city model from real-world data and a set of parameters, which can later be refined through human intervention. A multi-user simulation platform has been conceived, allowing the collaborative management of the model data, as well as the simulation of possible urban landscape changes, introducing therefore more advanced analysis and representation features to study and discuss the impact of certain decisions on the urban landscape.

Abstract
Location-based games have become more popular thanks to the growth of mobile device's technology. This paper presents a framework for the development of location-based augmented reality games and wARms, an augmented-reality location-based mobile game prototype based on said framework that uses the player's real position and orientation in order to play against others. The game shows how modern mobile device's sensors can be used for providing new and unusual gaming experiences. (C) 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B. V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the scientific programme committee of VS-Games 2012

Abstract
The generation of three-dimensional models of urban environments using procedural modelling is presented as being a solution which allows financial and temporal gains, maintaining an acceptable visual fidelity level. Nevertheless, the modelling of anchor buildings (or monumental), identifying certain urban areas, needs a more careful modelling due to the high level of detail necessary, using, generally, manual modelling. We present an automation proposal of the building modelling process through the introduction of additional knowledge from textual descriptions in a procedural modelling system. The results show that the data model is flexible enough to build distinct models of churches. The data model can also provide an initial structure for high level modelling, providing the global shape for the building and the location of doors, windows or other structures. High detailed models can be built from this initial structure. The results. demonstrate also that it is possible to create a 3D model from a text and thus permitting that non-specialised users may increase effectiveness using a procedural modelling system.

Abstract
Sports simulation can help to assess the performance of strategies and players in a sand-boxed environment. Ultimately it can lead to improved real-life performance of actual teams if it is able to provide useful information to the team coach or manager. Many tools are now available for many different sports, most notably Soccer Server Simulator, a soccer simulator, that has already attracted many researchers from the artificial intelligence community into developing intelligent agents (soccer players) for them to form teams to play against each other in simulated matches. This paper presents a methodology for developing agents for testing and further developing the Handball Sport Simulator, which is based on the Soccer Server Simulator. The main contribution of this work is to provide a basic, expandable, agent architecture, specifically capable of playing at a Handball Sport Simulator server, while at the same time testing what features and sport's rules of the Handball Sport Simulator have been implemented correctly.